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Old Ones (Warhammer 40k)
The Old Ones were the eldest of all space-faring races in Warhammer 40,000, possessing an advanced civilization long before the development of the major races of the current age. They were the first race to achieve a galactic civilization. Only the C'tan Star Gods in their incorporeal state - born at the creation of the universe itself - surpass them in age. The Old Ones likely were the most influential species to exist - they were instrumental in the development of many of the current sentient races, and, possessing the role of galactic-level architects at such a primal epoch, the state of the present galaxy is likely ultimately a reflection of many of the decisions made eons ago by the Old Ones. History The race remembered now only as the "Old Ones" had developed terrestrially into a sentient species like most of the galaxy's other commonplace biological species. The Old Ones possessed a slow, cold-blooded wisdom. Their science was advanced to such a point that it was indistinguishable from sorcery. Their understanding of the universe allowed them to exploit the alternate universes such as the Warp and engage in psychic engineering. Finding themselves to be virtually alone in the galaxy, they took it upon themselves to make worlds more favorable to support life, and they seeded other worlds with new lifeforms. They visited many worlds, and using primitive species as a stock, they created new and sentient species, which they continued to nurture. Many of the habitable and inhabited worlds in existence were terraformed from often barren worlds which were developed and seeded with life by the Old Ones. The Old Ones created many races to serve them including the Slann, Eldar, the tough green-skinned Krork, and the Jokaero. The Slann were probably the foremost servants of the Old Ones and may have been one of the earliest races created. The Old Ones are also reputed to have predicted the downfall of the Eldar and the resultant creation of Slaanesh, and gave control of the Webway to the Eldar. Wars with the Necrons One of the few already sentient races the Old Ones encountered were the Necrontyr, who at the time were in the midst of a slow expansion to distant planets. The lives of the Necrontyr were short and painful due to the deadly radiation of their world's sun. When they met the Old Ones, they developed a deep jealous hatred of them due to their near immortal lives. This resentment led to the First War. The Necrontyr's war was futile and they were forced back to a remote world in the outer rim of the Halo Stars. The fury of the Necrontyr cooled over thousands of years of imprisonment, but they turned their hatred against all life rather than just the Old Ones. The Necrontyr had studied their star for millions of years. In their quest for a weapon to use against the Old Ones, they found the C'tan. Gradually they managed to talk with these ethereal creatures, but they knew they would never be able to understand the material universe without a material body. So the Necrontyr built the living metal bodies they are still adorned with. They were worshiped as gods, as their powers were far beyond anything the Necrontyr had seen before. As the C'tan became more manifest in their bodies, they began to enjoy certain aspects of life more, including pain, suffering and slavery. Eventually, with the gods themselves at their sides, the Necrontyr were ready to begin their war with the Old Ones anew. The C'tan offered the Necrontyr escape from the curse of their short lives. Their minds would be transferred into living metal bodies, much like the C'tan themselves. Whether the Necrontyr knew what they would lose by doing this will never be known, but the process destroyed their race. They gained immortality but lost their free-will. Their minds were dulled and only a few retained any independent thought, but this was still only a fraction of what it had been. With the Necrontyr destroyed and the Necron born, the C'tan began the war against the Old Ones with their legions of undying warriors. The Old Ones were sent reeling. They could not match the cold science of the Necrons and were pushed back. Millions were slaughtered and eventually the Necrons dominated the galaxy. The last bastions of the Old Ones power were besieged and many of the younger races were completely destroyed. The Old Ones eventually came to the conclusion that they needed to create warrior and psychic races with the specific purpose of combating the Necrons. These races are thought to have included the Eldar, the Rashan, and the K'nib. The introduction of these warlike and often psychic races into the galaxy had the side effect of warping the Warp - the war, pain, and destruction of the galaxy during the conflict was reflected in the Warp, and the innocuous entities which naturally existed in the Warp were twisted into voracious and hostile predators. Ultimately this would lead to the destruction of the Old Ones. The C'tan empire could not counter this new form of warfare. Eventually they became devoted to severing reality's relationship to the Immaterium in order to make psychic powers useless. Eventually, with the eruption of the Enslaver Plague on the galaxy, the Old Ones were broken and scattered, never to come to any power again and eventually die out altogether.1 Client Races The Slann are a race of amphibian aliens. The Slann's history differs from most archetypal super-advanced civilizations which reach a golden age and then suffer a cataclysm which all but destroys their race. It is said no records exist of any destructive cataclysm befalling the Slann. At some point, the Slann retired from their role in galactic affairs, perhaps coming upon some great cosmic truth. The Old Slann had developed the original Webway, which was later perfected by the Eldar when they inherited the Slann's role in the galaxy. As well as teaching the Eldar of the many positive aspects of the warp, the Old Slann are said to have forewarned the Eldar about the dangers that they would face. When the Fall came long after the time of the Old Slann, those few that had heeded the warnings survived. The Jokaero are also suggested as being the possible creations of the Slann. The Old Slann descendants survive into the current Age of the Imperium as the Slann, resembling humanoid frogs with a Mayan/Aztec like culture. Although no longer concerned with galactic affairs and existing in a much more primal state, most Slann colonies maintain their advanced technology and knowledge. The Jokaero are an alien race, ape-like in appearance. No one has ever concluded whether they are an intelligent race. They are certainly capable of tremendous technological and logical feats, yet they have no language, culture or motivation higher than survival. They specialize in miniaturization technology. The Jokaero are famous for creating the miniaturized weapons known as digital weapons, some examples of which have ended up in the hands of Imperial agents. Such weapons are very rare as only the Jokaero have the aptitude to manufacture them. They appear as heavy, orange-furred apes, much like orangutans, which may not be a coincidence, as the original [http://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/Warhammer_40,000:_Rogue_Trader Rogue Trader] and current Necron Codex suggests they were created by the Old Ones. The Old Ones use existing species and guide their development to create new races. They appear to have visited Terra several times, presumably taking the species on the planet and moulding them to their own purposes. In a similar way to the Ork Meks, they have an innate, genetically built-in ability to understand technology, able to build virtually anything using parts from existing machinery. They have a similar innate comprehension of astrophysics and are able to tap into invisible power which flows through the galaxy to power their ships. With few possible exceptions, their understanding of surpasses any other known race. The ships Jokaero use to traverse space are a demonstration. Jokaero ships are unique in their appearance and in the way they traverse space, which likely transcends all other forms of space travel technology. The Jokaero wander the galaxy in large family groups, often landing on planets to scavenge parts to make repairs to their ships. They will often band together to fight a common enemy if they seek a specific object, and they fight with complex strategies and maneuvers. They will often seek out a lone structure, farmhouse or similarly undefended site to make their raid, which will be quick and to the point. It is impossible to argue or reason with a Jokaero, and even giving them what they want is difficult, since they are incapable of communicating. Jokaero tend to build only things which meet their own immediate needs. Attempts to control the Jokaero and force them to construct technology have met with failure as they build things with which to escape from their captors. The K'nib are an alien species nurtured by the Old Ones 3 about which little is known. What is known is that they are described as 'festering' 1, 2 and are known to have ten limbs 1. The K'nib may be the 'clawed fiend of the Donorian Sector' pictured in the Warhammer 40,000 3rd Edition Rulebook 2, as the K'nib are mentioned in an info box about the clawed fiend and furthermore are described in Xenology as 'festering clawed fiends' 1. Though to counter this, the clawed fiend pictured in the rule book does not have ten limbs, which Xenology states they do have 1. The Rashan are an alien Race that was created by the Old Ones to fight the Necrontyr and the C'tan. Orks are a warlike, crude and highly aggressive green-skinned alien race. Orks are the dominant subspecies of the Orkoids, which includes the smaller Gretchin and Snotlings. Although their society is entirely primitive and brutal, the Orkoid race is also the most successful species in the whole galaxy, spread throughout the galaxy and outnumbering possibly every other race. However, due to this aggressive and warlike nature, the massive race is split into hundreds of tiny empires, warring as much between themselves as against other races. In the purely theoretical event all the Orks were to unite, they would undoubtedly crush all opposition. The more modern theory of Ork evolution is that they are the Krork, created as a survivor race by the Old Ones (referred to in Ork legend as the Brain Boyz) in their wars against the Necrontyr. The fact that an entire ecosystem can be constructed of Orkoids, and their total war-readiness, suggests that this is the more likely of the two. In early forms of this theory, the Brain Boyz were an Orkoid subspecies, along with Orks, Squigs, and Gretchin. Physiology Orks are a symbiosis of both animal and fungus at the most basic level. The Orks animal side lives in complete harmony with its fungal side and each compliment the other and come together to form a tough and resilient creature. An example of this is found when comparing an Ork to a human. It appears that the fungus allows the Ork's body to negate the use of complex internal organs, the immune system and the reproductive anatomy. The fungus therefore allows the Ork to reduce the number of potentially fatal injuries possible, further improving their survivability. The Ork's animal side however suggests a primitive pack-based omnivorous growth pattern; the Orks relying on each other to hunt for food etc. in a pack. The most interesting feature however, is the lack of any sign for any evolution or evolutionary process. This indicates that the Orks may have been created, or grown, as a result of highly advanced biological engineering. If this is true, then it is likely that the Orks represent the ultimate fighters; strong, tough, durable and aggressive with the biology to back them up. The most striking feature about the Orks is their green skin. Combined with their green blood, Magos Biologis have come to the conclusion that, rather than a complete reliance on the consumption of nutrients in the form of food, Orks have a primitive and basic ability to photosynthesise. This would give them a tremendous advantage over other races as they can reduce their supply lines to ammunition and fuel and all the other parts of war, but without the need to transport perishable goods. The blood of an Ork is also interesting, in that it contains countless distinct fungal organisms and has a chlorophyll high content, with trace elements of carbon and copper. This would account for the green colour of the blood and shows that photosynthesis is an important part of the Ork structure. The Ork head is, like many xenos of the galaxy, similar in design to that of the human cranium, although it is of a different shape and colour. The teeth suggest an omnivorous or opportunistic diet, which links with their primitive pack-based organisation. The skull, like many other parts of the Ork body, is far thicker than that of a human, giving it toughness far exceeding humans' own. The tusks on the Ork face are unlikely to be related to food consumption (even though Orks photosynthesise, they also consume food, mainly Squigs) and are more for decoration or combat, more likely the latter. They have pointed ears like the Eldar, although they have a low density of nerve clusters, indicating a stripped down to bare essentials approach to the Ork creation. All of this gives Orks a simple, effective and durable body, allowing them to fight well but passing over quality of sensation. An Orks internal organs, noted earlier, are simple and effective, relying heavily on their fungal elements. They have a large multi-chambered stomach which feeds a crude renal system. This combined with a body-cavity filling 'fungal soup' (which has the effect of replacing the biochemical organs (liver, kidney, spleen, pancreas etc.) gives the Orks an intensely strong internal system, even though it is quite basic in design. The bones of an Ork are thick, hard and durable, allowing them to sustain high velocity impacts without fracture or damage. The structure is similar to that of humans but the core of the bone contains a spongy fungal matter, replacing the simple human marrow. The Ork brain is quite large, similar in structure to that of a human or Eldar. There is, unusually, a complete lack of fungus or vegetable matter. The most developed part is that of the old brain, controlling more base functions which explain their natural aggression and pack hunting strategies. Finally, much of the Ork body is filled with a spongy mass, presumably to protect what little internal organs the Ork possesses. There are also several gills located around the Ork body, presumably for oxygen absorption. The structure and design of the Ork body provide a strong, tough and resilient system but also running at a low level of complexity. These combine to show that Orks are genetically engineered for combat. Their muscles are extremely strong and their squat bodies can stand immense punishment. Ork knowledge Orks have an innate knowledge of how things work. For example, Mekboyz do not learn their trade, the knowledge is built into their fungal code and is slowly released as the Orks grow. This genetic information gives the Orks a tremendous advantage over other races as they can often develop a complex society (or as complex as an Ork can get) without the need to teach anything, giving them combat ready warriors from the moment they are fully grown. The effects of Ork 'surgery' on the Ork body Orks are operated on by the 'Painboyz' of the tribe. They seem to operate on a generally nineteenth century level of surgical knowledge. Unlike humans, though, Orks are quite capable of being beheaded, having the head sewn onto a different body, and surviving the experience to fight again. The Painboyz also tend to use anything that comes to hand to fix/improve/augment the Ork body. Often this includes drilling and screwing things into the Ork and hoping they survive. Unfortunately, the Orks seem to be so tough that almost anything a Painboy does to an Ork is non-fatal, even when it involves large screws sticking out of arms and bones. This is also seen when Orks are 'upgraded' with bionic implants. Ork growth Orks grow all through their lives; the effect is most notable in the most successful Orks. As the Ork survives combats and wins trophies, the respect of other Orks will produce in him an effect somewhat similar to adolescence in the human male: puts on muscle, becomes more aggressive and assertive, and generally throws its weight around. If it wins the ensuing challenges of single combat, it may become a Nob, a leader of Orks (similar to a Sergeant), noticeably larger and tougher than average boyz. Once it begins to grow, an Ork will generally keep getting bigger and stronger until he is beaten by a bigger or more cunning Ork. Warbosses and Warlords, the rulers of continents and empires, are very large Orks indeed. The Ork diet Orks eat fungi of all kinds as well as meat. A particularly favoured ingredient in their diet are Squigs, short for 'squiggly beasts' - a variety of symbiotic races about the size of a cat, but legless. Often the only ones consumed are those known as the 'Eaten Squigs', a limbless blob which feeds on fungus. Their development is often seen as that of pack predators, although it is unlikely that they are hunting Eaten Squigs, limbless as they are and not providing much in the way of a challenge. The Waaagh! Ork behaviour is dominated by the [http://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/Waaagh Waaagh]!''', a gestalt psychic field they generate that has affects on the Ork psyche, as it allows Orks to instinctively recognise who is 'bigga' and therefore who is in charge. All Orks generate this field, and it grows stronger as the Orks enjoy themselves, generally while fighting. The Waaagh! helps give momentum (and the name) to the Orks' planet-crushing Waaagh!s. These Waaagh!s are a cross between a crusade and a pub crawl, with a bit of genocide thrown in for good measure. Thousands of Orks will gather together, drawn to the power of a single dominant Ork called a '''Warlord, who is bigger and more intelligent than the Orks around him. Then the Orks will set off to find an enemy to fight - any enemy. Ork Waaagh!s will sweep whole planetary systems away and destroy armies and fleets in tides of bloodlust and carnage, and only once the Orks have killed every available enemy will they start to fight amongst themselves again. The Adeptus Mechanicus has theorised that this gestalt psychic field also has a telekinetic affect, allowing Ork technology to work. This argument has been debunked, even by the Imperium itself. It is believed that the reason this argument came into existence is that the Imperium believes that a 'Machine Spirit' inhabits all technology, and that this machine spirit serves humanity. If this is the case, without a machine spirit Ork machines could not work, requiring some psychic effect to justify their often devastating effect. However, Genetor Lukas Anzion has noted that many Ork-built weapons will not function unless wielded by an Orkoid. It is thought that this is the reason red Ork vehicles go faster: simply because the Orks think they should! Reproduction Orks have not only survived, they have prospered and are more numerous than humanity. This at least is due in part to how they reproduce. Orks reproduce through the release of spores, which grow into a plant-like womb underground that nourishes the bodies of the various Orkoid species. This is the entire basis of the Orkoid ecosystem, producing first Squigs, then Snotlings who cultivate the Squigs and fungus, then Gretchin to build the settlements, and finally the Orks themselves. This means the Orks, where ever they go, will have an abundance of food, slaves and other resources, a moving ecosystem that supports them as they go on their Waaagh!s This also makes it extremely difficult to rid a planet of Orks, even if the initial invasion is defeated. Orks release spores thought their lives, but release them particularly at the moment of death. Without a nearby population of Orks, the fungus will eventually start the Ork life cycle anew. Decades after weathering an Ork Waaagh! settlements on a planet can find themselves faced with an unexpected attack from Feral Ork tribes coming out of the wilderness. Society' Orks gather into various levels of organization. The smallest battlefield grouping is the Mob, a squad-level unit of Orks with similar ideas of how to act on the battlefield, generally led by a Nob (short for "noble" but pronounced "knob"). A Warband is roughly equivalent to an Imperial Guard company (although with a greater variation in size), led by a Warboss. The Warband consists of several Mobs. The largest organizational unit is the Tribe, a horde of numerous Warbands all under the command of a Warlord or Warboss. Different tribes can be united by a powerful Warlord when he raises a Waaagh. Warbands number between 600 and 3,000 warriors plus associated war machines and artillery. Castes' Da Boyz' A typical Ork army is primarily made up of Ork Boyz, basic Orks armed in some way to make them either combat or ranged specific. It also contains several vehicles, mostly cobbled together from stolen pieces or crudely constructed vehicles by Mekboyz and Big Meks. Da Oddboyz' The Oddboyz are Orks who are born with specific information programmed into their DNA to be released as they grow. They specialise in doing things that most other Orks can't, although a standard Ork boy's genetically encoded knowledge allows him to keep his weapons in working order. Often there are competitions between Oddboyz to see which can make the most Orky thing, be it biological or technological. There are several different Oddboyz, cumulated under the term Oddboyz. Some of these Oddboyz are: Religion' Orks believe in two gods: Gork, the god of cunning brutality; and Mork, the god of brutal cunning, (the subtle difference being that one hits you when you aren't looking, the other does so hard when you are). As such, sometimes they can't remember which is which and fight over it. They have no real priesthood, although the infamous mighty Goff Warboss Ghazghkull Mag Uruk Thraka claims to be receiving visions from them. Currency' Orks use their teeth ("teef") as currency. This is quite a natural solution to inflation and income support, as Orks regrow their "teef" in a similar manner to sharks, replacing them quite frequently. They degrade over time so it is impossible to hoard them. This keeps prices constant, ensures all Orks have access to money and allows constant values to be placed on commodities. A toof will buy a good squig pie and a tankard of fungus beer, while a bag of teef will buy a cheap Warbuggy. A big flash Battlewagon could cost a Warboss hundreds of teef. Technology' Ork "teknologee" appears ramshackle and slapped-together, but is as potent as any weaponry used by the Imperium. Ork technology is characterised by a constant stream of poorly thought-out experimentation and constantly trying to outdo the competition to build the biggest gun, the largest Gargant, or the fastest Warbuggy. Therefore Ork technology is not uniform, lending Ork Warbands a cobbled together and random appearance. Ork Mekboyz are specialists in the field of producing powerful Force Fields that can protect against damage, and at battlefield improvisation of repairs. They can salvage almost any burnt-out wreck, and many Ork vehicles have been reported destroyed dozens of times, only to be cobbled back together, given a fresh lick of paint (if even that), and sent back into the fray. The tough, resilient nature of Orks means they accept crude bionics enhancements, transplants, and other medical shenanigans being performed on them with ease. Category:Allied Faction Category:Ancient Faction